Commercial aircraft currently utilize some type of crew alerting or warning system that alerts the flight deck crew of issues, problems, required maintenance, or other conditions associated with the onboard aircraft systems and subsystems. The primary goal of such alerting systems is to quickly inform the flight crew of any conditions or status that might require attention or responsive action. Although certain regulatory agencies (such as the United States Federal Aviation Agency) mandate the deployment of crew alerting systems, the specific manner in which a crew alerting system is implemented, the type of alert messages, and other operational details may remain unspecified. Consequently, crew alerting systems and the alert messages generated and supported by crew alerting systems are typically defined and configured by the airframe manufacturers (such as Boeing, Airbus, and McDonnell Douglas), and each aircraft type may have a different crew alerting system and/or a different alert message format.
A crew alerting system monitors various avionics subsystems that reside onboard the host aircraft. Avionics subsystems onboard the aircraft generate specific alert or warning messages that are based on internal checks and diagnostics. These messages are usually displayed on the primary flight displays in the flight deck of the aircraft in real time for viewing by the flight crew. Alert messages are generally categorized as to their severity or importance, which assists the crew in focusing on the most important or urgent issues. In certain situations, alert messages can significantly increase the workload of the flight crew, especially if a high number of alert messages are displayed concurrently or over a short period of time. Moreover, alert messages typically include alphanumeric codes, which the flight crew may need to understand and interpret on the fly. The flight crew may also be required to enter alert messages into a logbook or electronic database, consult a book or electronic database of response procedures for specified alert messages, or otherwise manage and respond to the alert messages.